Adobe Scan 23-Apr-2024

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse 5
thing Ihad ever seen. My cousin Mourad raced the horse across
a field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch, crossed the ditch on
the horse, and five minutes later returned, dripping wet.
The sun was coming up.
Now it's myturn tò ride, I said.
My cousin Mourad got off the horse.
Ride, he said.
Ileaped to the back of the horse and for a moment knew the
most awful fear imaginable. The horse did not mnove.
Kick into his muscles, my cousin Mourad said. What are
you waiting for? We've got to take him back before everybody in
the world is up and about.
Ikicked into the muscles of the horse. Once again it reared
and snorted. Then it began to run. Ididn't know what to do.
Instead of running across the field to the irrigation ditch the
horse ran down the road to the vineyard of Dikran Halabian
where it began to leap over vines. The horse leaped over seven
vines before I fell. Then it continued running.
My cousin Mourad came running down the road.
I'm not worried about you., he shouted. We've got to get that
horse. You go this way and I lgo this way. If you come upon
him, be kindly. I'l be near.
Icontinued down the road and my cousin, Mourad went
across the field toward the irrigation ditch.
It took him: half an hour to find the horse and bring
him back.
Allright, he said, jump on. The whole world is awake now.
What will we do? Isaid.
Well. he said, we'll either take him back or hide him until
tomorrow morning.
He didn't sound worried and I knew he'd hide him and not
take him back. Not for awhil, at any rate.
Where will we hide himn? Isaid.
Iknow a place, he said.
How long ago did you steal this horse? Isaid.
It suddenly dawned on me that he had been taking these
early morning rides for some time and had come for me this
morning only because he knew how much I longed to ride.
Whosaid anything about stealing a horse? he said.
Anyhow, I said, how long ago did you begin riding
every morning?
Snapehts
this morning. he said.
Not until the truth? Isaid. found out. that's what
Are you telling if wve are
he said. but youknow:
Of course not. want both of us to be liars. All
you're to sav. Idon't this morning.
riding
that we started
All right.I said. barn of adeserted vinevand
quietly to the farmer named
He walked the horse had been the pride of a barn.
which at one time some oatsand dry alfalfain the
Fetvajian. There were
home.
We began walkingsaid. to getthe hors to behave so nicely.
It wasnt easy, he wild, but. as I've told you. Ihave away
At first it wanted to run towant todo anythig I
want it todo,
with a horse. Ican get it
Horses understand me.
said.
How do you do it? I said.
Ihave an
understanding with a horse, he
understanding? I said.
Yes, but what sort of an
he said.
A simple and honest one, how to reach an understanding
Well, I said, I wish Iknew
like that with a horse.
you get to be thirteen
You're still a small boy. he said. When
you'll know how to do it.
I went home andate a hearty breakfast.
came to our house for
That afternoon my uncle Khosrove
sat in the parlour. sipping and smoking
coffée and cigarettes. He another visitor arived.
and remembering the old country. Then
out of loneliness.
a farmer named John ByTo, an Assyrian who,brought the lonely
had learned to speak Armenian. My mother
visitor coffee and tobacco and he rolled a cigarette and sipped
and smoked, and then at last, sighing sadly, he said, My white
I cannot
horse which was stolen last month is still gone
understand it.
My uncle Khosrove became very irritated and shouted, It's
no harm. What is the loss of a horse? Haven't we all lost the
homeland2 What is this crying over a horse?
That may be all right for you, a city dweller, to say, Johi
without
Byro said, but what of my surrey? What good is a surrey
a horse?
Pay no attention to it, my uncle Khosrove roared.
Iwalked ten miles to get here, John Byro said.
You have legs, my uncle Khosrove shouted.
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse 7
My ieft leg pains me, the farmer said.

Pay no attention to it, my uncle Khosrove roared.
That horse cost me sixty dollars, the farmer said.
Ispit on money, my uncle Khosrove said.
He got up and stalked out of the house, slamming the
SCreen door.
My mother explained.
He has agentle heart, she said. It is simply that he is
homesick and such a large man.
The farmer went away and I ran over to my cousin
Mourad's house.
He was sitting under a peach tree, trying to repair the
hurt wing of a young robin which could not fly. Hewas talking
to the bird.
What is it? he said.
The farmer, John Byro, I said.He visited our house. He wants
his horse. You've had it a month. Iwant you to promise not to
take it back until I learn to ride.Araun kaas ver seffsh)
It willtake you a year to learn to ride, my cousin Mourad said.
We could keep the horse a year, I said.
My cousin Mourad leaped to his feet.
What? he roared. Are you inviting a member of the
Garoghlanian famnily to steal? The horse must go back to its
true OWIler.
When?Isaid.
In sixmonths at the latest, he said.
lte threw the bird into the air. The birdtried hard, almost
fell twice, but at last flew away, high and straight.
Early every morning for two weeks my cousin Mourad and I
took the horse out of the barn of the deserted vineyard where
we uere hiding it and rode it, and every morning the horse,
when it was my turn toride alone, leaped over grape vines and
small trees and threw me and ran away. Nevertheless, I hoped
in time to learn to ride the way my cousin Mourad rode.
Onemorning on the way to Fetvajian's deserted vineyard we ran
into the farmer John Byro who was on his way to town.
Let me do the talking, my cousin Mourad said. Ihave a way
with farmers.
Good morning. John Byro, my cousin Mourad said to
the farmer.
The farmer studied the horse eagerly.
friends, he said. Whatisthe name
son of my
Good morning, Arnenian,
your horse? Mourad said in
cousin horse. I
My Heart. my John Byro said. for a lovely could
Alovely name, from me many weeks
that was stolen ago.
Swearit is the horse
his mouth?
May Ilook intoMourad said.
Of course,
looked into the mouth of the horse. horse ir
The farmer said. Iwould swear it is my
Tooth for tooth, he family for honesty is
parents. The tame of your
didn't know your me. the horse is the twin of my horse A
Yet
well knowIn to
believe his eves instead of his heart, GoN
suspicious manwould
day. my young friends. cousin Mourad said.
Good day, John Byro. mv took the horse to John Byro's
Early the following morning we
and put it in the barn. The dogs followed us around
vineyard
without making asound.
Mourad. Ithought they
The dogs, Iwhispered tomy cousin
would bark.
wav wvith dogs.
They would at somebody else. he said. Ihave a horse. pressed
My cousin Mourad put his arns around the
went away.
his nose into the horse's nose, patted it, and then we
That afternoon John Byro came to our house in his surrey and
showed my mother the horse that had been stolen and returned.
Ido not know what to think, he said. The horse is stronger
than ever. Better-tempered, too. I thank God. My uncle Khosrove.
who was in the parlour. became irntated and shouted. Quiet.
man, quiet. Your horse has been returned. Pay no attention to it.
1. You will probably agree that this story does not

have breathless adventure and exciting actiot
Then what in your opinion makes it interesting
2. Did the boys return the horse because they wer
conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
3. "One day back there in the good old davs when Iws
nine and the world was full of evey imagnable kind
of magnificence, and life was still a delightful and
mysterious dreanm... The story begins in a mood of
qudiible nai ve
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
nostalgia. Can you narrate some incident from your childhood

thát might make an interesting story?
The story revolves around characters who belong to a tribe in
Armenia. Mourad and Aramn are members of the Garoghlanian
Prefe
family. Now locate Armenia and Assyria on theatlas and prepare a
write-up on the Garoghlanian tribes. You may write about people,
their names. traits, geographical and economic features as
suggested in the story.
TRY THIS OUT

fury of
"The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted, and burst into acould be
lines
speed that was the loveliest thing Ihad ever seen." These
the above lines.
an artist's delight.Try to draw a picture as depicted in

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The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse 5

My ieft leg pains me, the farmer said.

1. You will probably agree that this story does not

nostalgia. Can you narrate some incident from your childhood

TRY THIS OUT

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